MyLife News

These are tough times for many and charities like My Life rely on funding to keep our important work going.

You may be buying more online as a result of the pandemic. If so, there’s a really easy way that you can help to support us when you buy from Amazon, at no cost to you. 

Instead of shopping via Amazon, you can buy exactly the same things, with exactly the same service, through their Amazon Smile website. The only difference is, if you nominate us as your chosen charity, My Life will receive a percentage of what you spend* at no cost to you. 

So, how do you support My Life in this way? Simply click here and choose My Life as your nominated charity.

From then on, when you buy anything, use the website smile.amazon.co.uk and you’ll be supporting us. If you share the link with people you know, they’ll be able to do the same thing too. With so many people buying online at the moment, this will really make such a difference to the people we support.

Thank you.

*Amazon will donate 0.5% of the net purchase price (excluding VAT, returns and shipping fees) of eligible purchases to the charitable organisations selected by customers.

We’re delighted to say that the Stable Door Café has been back up and running since the 8^th July.  

We’ve been so pleased to welcome back our customers and share our delicious, homemade food, made entirely with fresh, locally sourced ingredients, many from our own farm and homegrown by My Life members!

New range of ice creams coming soon

We’re also very excited to say that we’ll be stocking a range of different flavours of Longridge Real Dairy Ice Cream, VERY soon. Made with real Ribble Valley cream, it’s lovely and it’s local, with flavours including Belgian chocolate, Maltesers, cookies and cream and fresh strawberry, we’ll keep you updated.

Our Covid-19 precautions

As with all our services, we’re closely following government guidelines, with extra measures including hand sanitizer, a one-way system, regular cleaning in process, tables limited to a maximum 4 people and bookings only.

Sit in, dine outside or take away

You can enjoy our dishes inside, or in our outdoor area – we’ll even bring your food to your car with our takeaway service. Just take a look at our menu here and order ahead.

We’re open Wednesday to Sunday, 9am-4pm at My Life, Thompson House Equestrian Centre, Standish, book on 01257 676 076. 

Profits are reinvested into the work of My Life. Help support us by liking and following our Stable Door Cafe Facebook page.

We’re pleased to announce that our three fully accessible holiday chalets, set in 84 acres of beautiful Lancashire countryside, in Standish, are open again for bookings.

Whether you need a rest, a change of scene, or simply a holiday in the great outdoors, each stylish, comfortable chalet sleeps up to 6 people.

Midweek prices start at just £75 per night (member rate), or £100 (non-member rate).  You can book or find out more on 01257 472 900.

Covid-19 precautions

We’d like to reassure our guests that we are taking every precaution against Covid-19, including extra cleaning procedures.  If you have any questions about this please do contact us, we’re happy to talk about it.  

Stay with us and you get…

• Dedicated car parking
• Fully equipped self-catering kitchen with modern appliances
• Two bedrooms, wet room, sofa bed and beautiful open-plan living area
• Bed linen and towels included
• Flatscreen TV and free Wi-Fi
• On-site café offering eat in or takeaway meals, Wednesday to Sunday
• Profiling bed, shower chair and hoist available on request
• Bring your own support (if needed)
• Respite care options – we are CQC registered
• Non-smoking (smoking areas are available outside)
• Pets welcome for a small fee

Surrounding attractions

Just five minutes from junction 27 of the M6, our chalets are situated with easy access to Liverpool, Manchester, Blackpool and Southport.

Local attractions include many fine eateries, Martin Mere Wetland Centre, Windmill Animal Farm, Haigh Woodland Park and the picturesque Worthington Lakes!

Know you’re doing something good

All profits from your stay are reinvested into our work, helping to make a better life for everyone. We’re looking forward to welcoming our lovely guests back!

Back in June My Life Learning’s Deputy Head Sue Cadman took part in ‘Wigan’s Covid Collection, A Living History.’

This is one of a series of podcasts documenting how Wigan has managed through the coronavirus pandemic.

Made by Bamalam Productions, it’s an important piece of audio history and documents Sue’s observations on how My Life Learning, Sue, as a keyworker and our learners and families were dealing with the pandemic at the time.

The podcast includes interviews and poems from other local people and is a really interesting listen. Find it here.

As you all know, we love to nurture here at My Life, and we’ve been doing a really good job of developing our beautiful Standish site of late.

We want to say a big thank you to Standish Mini Diggers for helping us to make it as accessible as possible. Your support has been invaluable to us. Together we are better!

Volunteers, staff and members have been doing a fantastic job working on site, showing their strong horticulture skills both in the greenhouses and polytunnels.

We’ve all been enjoying fresh food daily, as well as supplying the Stable Door Café with produce for the local community to enjoy.

Our Standish Day Opportunities Manager, Teresa Harfield says:

“This has been a great opportunity for members to harvest the produce of the seeds they planted many months ago and enjoy the rewards, all whilst social distancing. It’s really is a reminder to us all to look positively towards the future and what this may hold.”

Support staff roles available

Looking for a fulfilling job?

We’re recruiting an amazing group of people to support individuals across health, care and education across East Lancashire, as well as at our sites in Standish and Leigh and out in the community.

With full training, a salary, guaranteed hours and continual professional development, we’ll match you into a job that uses your skills, gifts and talents.

Register for My Life’s virtual introductory session to our FREE Pathways to Employment course.

Join our team on Microsoft Teams, on either Tuesday 8th or Thursday 10th September, from 7pm until 8.30pm. Don’t worry about the technology – we’ll help.

We’ll explain about the recruitment process involving free training and coaching into a job that you’ll love. If we think you have what it takes, you’ll attend our FREE three-day virtual training course.

What people say who have attended the course:

“I’ve never felt so enthused about working for a company as I do about My Life.”

“I can’t recommend it enough if you want to change your life by possibly changing someone else’s.”

“I would recommend this course to anyone seeking employment in the care sector.”

“Some lovely people work at My Life. I hope these courses continue to be available and benefit more people.”

Places are subject to availability, so register now or find out more on 01942 233422 or email hr@my-life.org.uk.

Paid for workshop facilitator roles available

What’s your skill? Could you share it with others?

We’re looking for people to deliver fun and exciting workshops for a range of people with different needs. You could be an entertainer, fitness expert, artist, chef, baker, crafter, florist, screen printer, woodworker, potter, sewer, musician, singer, horticulturist, up-cycler, bicycle repair specialist or – you tell us!

From one off to regular sessions, you’ll be working at our wonderful site with fabulous facilities at Thompson House Equestrian Centre in Standish and potentially across other locations, including conferences and events (as and when larger gatherings are allowed).

What some of our current facilitators say:

“I really enjoy my job and get a lot of satisfaction from it, leading the dog walks with My Life members, providing dogs for dog therapy. Coming to work, making a difference to others’ lives and seeing them smile makes my day.” Louise Southern, Dog Grooming and ‘Doggy Day Care’ Facilitator

“You really get a buzz from seeing the benefits that people receive when you guide them through positive movement, breathwork, meditation and relaxation. It’s a way for them to hold a safe space away from the chaos of everyday life.” Tiffany Whitter, Yoga Facilitator

Confidence and energy are more important than experience – we welcome people with a talent to share it with others.

Interested? For more information call 01942 233422 or email hr@my-life.org.uk.

Please note, photographs were taken prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.